Buzz Aldrin Astronaut Apollo 11, Gemini 12 » FAQ What you always wanted to know Who is the astronaut in the famous visor shot? The iconic image is of Buzz, taken by Neil Armstrong during their historic moonwalk on July 20, 1969. One of Neil’s tasks was to document the moonwalk, so the vast majority of the first lunar landing photos are of Buzz. The unique feature of the Visor photo is that you can see the reflection of the Eagle Lander and of Neil snapping the shot in the visor of Buzz’s helmet. What is Buzz Aldrin’s real name? Buzz Aldrin’s real name is, in fact, Buzz Aldrin. He had it legally changed to Buzz in the early 80’s from his given name Edwin E. Aldrin Jr. The name “Buzz” evolved from his sister Fay Ann’s mispronunciation of the word “brother” which became “Buzzer.” By fate, or by coincidence, his mothers’ name was Marion Moon. What was it like to walk on the moon?

As Buzz backed down the ladder of the Eagle Lander and first set foot onto the moon, he gazed at the lunar landscape and spontaneously remarked to Houston, “Beautiful, beautiful. Magnificent desolation.” Does Buzz still see the other lunar astronauts? Buzz is in contact with many of the other astronauts and has had occasion to visit with them during periodic Apollo reunions. He sees Neil when passing through Ohio and recently took a salmon fishing trip to Alaska with Mike Collins. Of the 24 astronauts that orbited the moon or landed on its surface, 18 are still living. Where can I find a moon rock? NASA recently presented each of the Apollo astronauts with the Ambassador of Exploration Award – including a moon rock to be donated to the museum of their choice. Buzz donated his moon rock to the California Science Center in Los Angeles. You can also find three on display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, as well as one at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C. that you can actually touch. What has Buzz been doing since the moon landing? Designing rockets, deep sea exploring, speaking all over the world for privatizing space and stimulating support for America’s space program.

Buzz is as active today as when he walked on the moon. He has written six books and numerous articles advocating concepts for the future of space travel. He served as a presidential appointee to the Commission on the Future of the US Aerospace Industry. He appears frequently on television as a commentator. Did Buzz Aldrin inspire the Disney character Buzz Lightyear? Yes, “to infinity and beyond!” In fact Disney asked Buzz to give some space travel tips to Buzz Lightyear for his 2008 shuttle flight to the International Space Station to help celebrate NASA’s 50th Anniversary. Aldrin willingly agreed, but of course reminded Lightyear who the “real” Buzz was! Does Buzz still like to explore? Absolutely! Since returning from the moon, Buzz keeps his love of exploration alive: A deep sea dive 2 ½ miles down in a yellow French minisubmarine, the Nautile, to the ruins of the Titanic; An expedition to the North Pole on a Russian nuclear-powered icebreaker along with “20/20”host Hugh Downs; On his list of future destinations to explore – a journey to the South Pole. Read more in Exploring the Titanic: Buzz Aldrin goes from Astronaut to Argonaut.

What is Buzz’s vision for the future of human space exploration? Dr. Aldrin actively supports America’s return to the moon and human missions to Mars to establish permanent settlements. He also advocates international cooperation and space tourism as essential elements to the future of exploration. He founded ShareSpace Foundation to advance opportunities for civilian space travel via a space lottery program. Read more about Buzz’s vision for the future in Advocacy, and learn about his rocket designs to take us there in Rocket Science. I’ve heard that the MTV Video Music Award statuette is named after Buzz. Is this true? Yes, the VMA “Moonman” award has been alternately referred to as the “Buzzy” and images of Buzz on the moon were used for MTV’s original station identification. In fact, the network aired “20 Things You Didn’t Know About the VMA’s” as part of the 20th Anniversary of their awards show, featuring Buzz as the inspiration for the “Moonman” statuette. MTV former President Tom Freston is a personal fan of Buzz’s, and recently presented him with the statuette inscribed “To the original Moonman.” Does Buzz still pilot planes?

Buzz’s flying experiences include: USAF fighter pilot in the Korean War flying F-86 Sabre Jets, USAF tour of duty in Germany flying F-100’s as D-Flight commander in the “Big 22”, Gemini 12 Mission Pilot, Lunar Module Pilot of Apollo 11, testing experimental aircraft as Commander of the Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, and a brief stint in the 1970’s at Santa Monica Airport Flight School flying a Cessna. More recently he has taken the controls of an F-16 with his former 22nd Fighter Squadron at Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany. Would Buzz want to return to the moon, or go to Mars? In a recent CNN interview with Miles O’Brien, Buzz he’d take the leap on a 4-day journey back to the moon. He’d like to check on how that American flag is holding up that he and Neil planted in 1969. As much as he’d love to go to Mars, it’s a “much longer duration mission.” He’s had his space trips, and now is working so you can go too, and have the chance to be among those who walk on Mars.

Communion on the Moon : snopes.com Communion on the Moon Claim: Account by Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin describes his taking Communion on the moon. true Example: [Collected via e-mail, February 2010] Communion on the Moon: July 20th, 1969 Forty years ago today two human beings changed history by walking on the surface of the moon. But what happened before Buzz Aldrin (pictured in the LM, left) and Neil Armstrong exited the Lunar Module is perhaps even more amazing, if only because so few people know about it. I'm talking about the fact that Buzz Aldrin took communion on the surface of the moon. Some months after his return, he wrote about it in Guideposts magazine. And a few years ago I had the privilege of meeting him myself. I asked him about it and he confirmed the story to me, and I wrote about in my book Everything You Always Wanted to Know About God (But Were Afraid to Ask).

The background to the story is that Aldrin was an elder at his Presbyterian Church in Texas during this period in his life, and knowing that he would soon be doing something unprecedented in human history, he felt he should mark the occasion somehow, and he asked his pastor to help him. And so the pastor consecrated a communion wafer and a small vial of communion wine. And Buzz Aldrin took them with him out of the Earth's orbit and on to the surface of the moon. He and Armstrong had only been on the lunar surface for a few minutes when Aldrin made the following public statement: "This is the LM pilot. I'd like to take this opportunity to ask every person listening in, whoever and wherever they may be, to pause for a moment and contemplate the events of the past few hours and to give thanks in his or her own way." He then ended radio communication and there, on the silent surface of the moon, 250,000 miles from home, he read a verse from the Gospel of John, and he took communion. Here is his own account of what happened: "In the radio blackout, I opened the little plastic packages which contained the bread and the wine.

I poured the wine into the chalice our church had given me. In the one-sixth gravity of the moon, the wine slowly curled and gracefully came up the side of the cup. Then I read the Scripture, 'I am the vine, you are the branches. Whosoever abides in me will bring forth much fruit. Apart from me you can do nothing.' I had intended to read my communion passage back to earth, but at the last minute [they] had requested that I not do this. NASA was already embroiled in a legal battle with Madelyn Murray O'Hare [sic], the celebrated opponent of religion, over the Apollo 8 crew reading from Genesis while orbiting the moon at Christmas. I agreed reluctantly. I ate the tiny Host and swallowed the wine. I gave thanks for the intelligence and spirit that had brought two young pilots to the Sea of Tranquility .

It was interesting for me to think: the very first liquid ever poured on the moon, and the very first food eaten there, were the communion elements." And of course, it's interesting to think that some of the first words spoken on the moon were the words of Jesus Christ, who made the Earth and the moon — and Who, in the immortal words of Dante, is Himself the "Love that moves the Sun and other stars." Origin:One of the smaller details lost amidst the tremendous historic and scientific achievements of the Apollo 11 mission that landed the first two human beings on the moon in July 1969 was that it also marked the first occasion on which a Christian took the sacrament of Communion on an astronomical body other than Earth. This event took place in the interval between the lunar module's landing on the moon on 20 July 1969 and Neil Armstrong's taking his first steps on the lunar surface several hours later; during that period, astronaut Buzz Aldrin privately observed Communion using elements he had brought with him to the moon.

Aldrin openly described his Communion experience on the moon in print several times, including an August 1969 interview with LIFE magazine, an October 1970 Guideposts article, and his 1973 book Return to Earth. The following account of his motivations and preparation is taken from Aldrin's 2009 book, Magnificent Desolation: Landing on the moon is not quite the same thing as arriving at Grandmother's for Thanksgiving. You don't hop out of the lunar module the moment the engine stops and yell, "We're here! We're here!" Getting out of the LM takes a lot of preparation, so we had built in several extra hours to our flight plan. We also figured it was wise to allow more time rather than less for our initial activities after landing, just in case anything had gone wrong during the flight. According to our schedule, we were supposed to eat a meal, rest awhile, and then sleep for seven hours after arriving on the moon. After all, we had already worked a long, full day and we wanted to be fresh for our extra-vehicular activity (EVA).

Mission Control had notified the media that they could take a break and catch their breath since there wouldn't be much happening for several hours as we rested. But it was hard to rest with all that adrenaline pumping through our systems. Nevertheless, in an effort to remain calm and collected, I decided that this would be an excellent time for a ceremony I had planned as an expression of gratitude and hope. Weeks before, as the Apollo mission drew near, I had originally asked Dean Woodruff, pastor at Webster Presbyterian Church, where my family and I attended services when I was home in Houston, to help me come up with something I could do on the moon, some appropriate symbolic act regarding the universality of seeking. I had thought in terms of doing something overtly patriotic, but everything we came up with sounded trite and jingoistic.

I settled on a well-known expression of spirituality: celebrating the first Christian Communion on the moon, much as Christopher Columbus and other explorers had done when they first landed in their "new world." I wanted to do something positive for the world, so the spiritual aspect appealed greatly to me, but NASA was still smarting from a lawsuit filed by atheist Madalyn Murray O'Hair after the Apollo 8 astronauts read from the biblical creation account in Genesis. O'Hair contended this was a violation of the constitutional separation of church and state. Although O'Hair's views did not represent mainstream America at that time, her lawsuit was a nuisance and a distraction that NASA preferred to live without. I met with Deke Slayton, one of the original "Mercury Seven" astronauts who ran our flight-crew operations, to inform him of my plans and that I intended to tell the world what I was doing. Deke said, "No, that's not a good idea, Buzz. Go ahead and have communion, but keep your comments more general." I understood that Deke didn't want any more trouble.

So, during those first hours on the moon, before the planned eating and rest periods, I reached into my personal preference kit and pulled out the communion elements along with a three-by-five card on which I had written the words of Jesus: "I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me, and I in him, will bear much fruit; for you can do nothing without me." I poured a thimbleful of wine from a sealed plastic container into a small chalice, and waited for the wine to settle down as it swirled in the one-sixth Earth gravity of the moon. My comments to the world were inclusive: "I would like to request a few moments of silence ... and to invite each person listening in, wherever and whomever they may be, to pause for a moment and contemplate the events of the past few hours, and to give thanks in his or her own way." I silently read the Bible passage as I partook of the wafer and the wine, and offered a private prayer for the task at hand and the opportunity I had been given. Neil watched respectfully, but made no comment to me at the time.

Perhaps, if I had it to do over again, I would not choose to celebrate communion. Although it was a deeply meaningful experience for me, it was a Christian sacrament, and we had come to the moon in the name of all mankind — be they Christians, Jews, Muslims, animists, agnostics, or atheists. But at the time I could think of no better way to acknowledge the enormity of the Apollo 11 experience that by giving thanks to God. It was my hope that people would keep the whole event in their minds and see, beyond minor details and technical achievements, a deeper meaning — a challenge, and the human need to explore whatever is above us, below us, or out there. Some sources asserted that Aldrin's taking of Communion was kept "secret" from the public by NASA due to an ongoing lawsuit filed by atheist Madalyn Murray O'Hair : The story of the secret communion service only emerged after the mission. Aldrin had originally planned to share the event with the world over the radio. However, at the time Nasa was still reeling from a lawsuit filed by the firebrand atheist Madalyn Murray O'Hair, resulting in the ceremony never being broadcast.

After the Apollo 8 crew had read out the Genesis creation account in orbit, O'Hair wanted a ban on Nasa astronauts practising religion on earth, in space or "around and about the moon" while on duty. She believed it violated the constitutional separation between church and state However, it's not completely true that the public was kept in the dark about the event until many years later. Although Aldrin maintained that NASA asked him not to broadcast his observance of Communion, news accounts released while the Apollo 11 mission was in progress reported that Aldrin was bringing Communion bread with him to the moon and would be joining Earth-bound parishioners in observing Communion from the lunar surface, as noted in this 20 July 1969 Associated Press dispatch: Astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin Jr. went to the moon today with a piece of Communion bread he will use there to symbolize fellowship with his home church on earth. When the Rev. M. Dean Woodruff [minister of the Webster Presbyterian church where Aldrin was an elder] brought out the bread for Communion, a portion of the loaf had been broken away.

The minister explained that Aldrin took a portion of the loaf with him on the moon trip and at some time during the afternoon, after the moon landing is made, Aldrin would symbolically join the other parishioners in Communion during one of his rest periods. Buzz Aldrin's observance of Communion was dramatized in an episode of the 1998 HBO mini-series From the Earth to the Moon: The handwritten card containing the Bible verse that Aldrin recited during his lunar Communion service was offered at auction in 2007. Last updated: 20 July 2016 Originally published: 07 March 2010 Tags: Thank you for writing to us! Although we receive hundreds of e-mails every day, we really and truly read them all, and your comments, suggestions, and questions are most welcome. Unfortunately, we can manage to answer only a small fraction of our incoming mail. Our site covers many of the items currently being plopped into inboxes everywhere, so if you were writing to ask us about something you just received, our search engine can probably help you find the very article you want.

Choose a few key words from the item you're looking for and click here to go to the search engine. (Searching on whole phrases will often fail to produce matches because the text of many items is quite variable, so picking out one or two key words is the best strategy.) We do reserve the right to use non-confidential material sent to us via this form on our site, but only after it has been stripped of any information that might identify the sender or any other individuals not party to this communication. Your Email The Secret Communion on the Moon: The 44-Year Anniversary | TIME.com The Secret Communion on the Moon: The 44-Year Anniversary Send to Kindle NASA/TIME&amp;LIFE/Getty Images Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin standing on moon, with astronaut Neil Armstrong & lunar module reflected in helmet visor, during his historic first walk on the lunar surface. Follow @TIMEPolitics The date, July 20, 1969, will forever be known as the day the United States of America put the first man on the moon.

What most people do not know is the date also marks when Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin celebrated the first and only Lord’s Supper on the moon, a fact the U.S. government refused to make public at the time. Inside the lunar module, just hours before stepping onto the moon for the first time, Aldrin radioed Houston Space Center Mission Control. He asked for a few moments of silence “to invite each person listening in, wherever and whomever they may be, to pause for a moment and contemplate the events of the past few hours, and to give thanks in his or her own way.” In that moment of silence that followed, Aldrin silently read a passage from the book of John that he had written out on a 3×5 card: “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me, and I in him, will bear much fruit; for you can do nothing without me.” Then he took out the miniature chalice and bread and wine from his personal allowance pouch. “I poured the wine into the chalice our church had given me,” he told Guideposts magazine in 1970.

“In the one-sixth gravity of the moon the wine curled slowly and gracefully up the side of the cup. It was interesting to think that the very first liquid ever poured on the moon, and the first food eaten there, were communion elements.” Neil Armstrong , the other astronaut onboard, did not participate. But that was not Aldrin’s original plan—he had wanted to celebrate communion on the air with the rest of his comments, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA ) was not happy about it. Just months earlier, the Apollo 8 astronauts broadcast parts of the Biblical creation narrative from the book of Genesis while orbiting the moon on Christmas Eve: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” Atheist Madalyn Murray O’Hair sued, arguing that the astronauts were government employees and therefore their actions violated the separation of church and state. The Supreme Court dismissed the case—for lack of jurisdiction—but it created enough of a stir that NASA wanted to avoid any such distractions from their missions.

When Aldrin, a devout Presbyterian, told NASA flight operations coordinator Deke Slayton of his plan to celebrate communion during the live broadcast, Slayton told him to stand down. “No, that’s not a good idea, Buzz,” Slayton told him, according to Adrin’s memoir Magnificent Desolation. “Go ahead and have communion, but keep your comments more general.” Aldrin later questioned his own decision to celebrate the Christian practice. “Perhaps if I had it to do over again, I would not choose to celebrate communion,” he wrote in his memoir. “Although it was a deeply meaningful experience for me, it was a Christian sacrament, and we had come to the moon in the name of all mankind—be they Christians, Jews, Muslims, animists, agnostics, or atheists. But at the time I could think of no better way to acknowledge the enormity of the Apollo 11 experience than by giving thanks to God.” Webster Presbyterian Church—Aldrin’s church in Houston that supplied him with the bread and the wine for the unique occasion—still celebrates the lunar communion every year on the Sunday closest to July 20. Elizabeth is a writer-reporter in TIME's Washington bureau.

Follow her on Twitter @elizabethjdias. Subscribe Popular Among Subscribers The Interesting Thing Buzz Aldrin Did on the Moon — and How an Atheist Might Be Behind You Not Seeing It – TheBlaze Tweet For those who don’t know, there’s a fascinating story surrounding Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin’s “secretive” activities in space. The second man to walk on the moon, Aldrin is also the first — and only known — individual to take Holy Communion. The act, which has gained scattered coverage in the past, was both a coveted and a controversial one. Just before Aldrin stepped foot on the moon, he took the Eucharist, using wafers and a bottle of wine he brought into space from the Webster Presbyterian Church in Webster, Texas. Over the past decades since the 1969 moon landing, he has openly discussed the fascinating experience in detail. “I poured the wine into the chalice our church had given me. In the one-sixth gravity of the moon the wine curled slowly and gracefully up the side of the cup,” Aldrin told Guideposts Magazine in 1970.

“It was interesting to think that the very first liquid ever poured on the moon, and the first food eaten there, were communion elements.” But this intriguing display, according to the Daily Mail , was purportedly kept secret by the U.S. government, despite plans that the astronaut originally had to broadcast the Christian act on radio. See a dramatized version of his communion in the 1998 HBO miniseries, “From the Earth to the Moon,” below: NASA apparently decided not to allow Aldrin to showcase the sacrament, as Madalyn Murray O’Hair, the now-deceased founder of American Atheists, threatened to sue the U.S. government over a previous religious broadcast that apparently unfolded on Apollo 8, a separate vessel (Aldrin was on Apollo 11 for his moon mission). According to PBS , “She tried to prevent the reading of Genesis 8 on the Apollo space mission, arguing that the astronauts were government employees and thus prohibited from reading the Bible. (The Supreme Court declined jurisdiction.).” So the government was, thus, allegedly hesitant to allow Aldrin to broadcast the communion for fear that it would, again, rile O’Hair.

The Guardian adds more about the famed atheist’s opposition to NASA personnel exhibiting overt faith on the job: After the Apollo 8 crew had read out the Genesis creation account in orbit, O’Hair wanted a ban on Nasa astronauts practising religion on earth, in space or “around and about the moon” while on duty. She believed it violated the constitutional separation between church and state. Astronaut Buzz Aldrin displays a copy of his new book as he speaks at the launch of the PayPal Galactic initiative at the SETI institute in Mountain View, Calif., Thursday, June 27, 2013. The program aims to bring together leaders in the space industry working on the issues around the commercialization of space, including what currency will be used, how banking systems will adapt, managing risk and fraud, and customer support.Credit: AP While Americans didn’t hear the communion live as Aldrin had originally hoped, those at the Houston Space Center Mission Control were invited to join him in giving thanks as he read a section from the Book of John. “I am the vine, you are the branches.

Whoever remains in me, and I in him, will bear much fruit; for you can do nothing without me,” the astronaut read from a written card (John 15:5). Despite this great fanfare, Aldrin later wondered if Christian communion was the right move after all. While he said that it was incredibly fulfilling, in his memoir, “Magnificent Desolation,” he seemed to admit that it was, in a sense, divisive. “Perhaps if I had it to do over again, I would not choose to celebrate communion,” he wrote. “Although it was a deeply meaningful experience for me, it was a Christian sacrament, and we had come to the moon in the name of all mankind—be they Christians, Jews, Muslims, animists, agnostics, or atheists.” However, he added, “But at the time I could think of no better way to acknowledge the enormity of the Apollo 11 experience than by giving thanks to God.” You can read more about the communion experience here . While it has been dubbed secretive in nature, it wasn’t entirely hidden from the public. That said, it was downplayed by the government and, as stated, was not broadcast live.

— Other Must-Read Stories: Why NASA Covered Up Buzz Aldrin's Communion Observance on the Moon Why NASA Covered Up Buzz Aldrin's Communion Observance on the Moon Email As America offered its official farewells in a memorial service September 12 to Neil Armstrong, the first man to set foot on the moon, the second man on the moon, Edwin Eugene “Buzz” Aldrin, was no doubt recalling that first lunar mission in mid-July 1969. And among the recollections of the event that have been resurrected by the media over the past few days was Aldrin's decision to mark the historic occasion in perhaps the most appropriate way possible: by taking a few moments to worship God through communion, partaking of the emblems of Christ's body and blood. NASA allowed an astronaut to take a small bag of personal items with him on such flights, and amongst his own effects Aldrin, an elder in his Presbyterian church back home in Texas, packed a communion wafer and a small vial of communion wine consecrated by his pastor.

A few minutes after he and Armstrong landed on the lunar surface, Aldrin, pilot of the Lunar Module, radioed back to Mission Control in Houston, with this personal message: “I’d like to take this opportunity to ask every person listening in, whoever and wherever they may be, to pause for a moment and contemplate the events of the past few hours and to give thanks in his or her own way.” As NASA officials, nervous about the backlash over religious expression by the astronaut, blacked out the radio communication with the rest of the world, Aldrin proceeded with his own personal observance, reading aloud the words of Christ from the Gospel of John: “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever abides in me will bring forth much fruit. Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Then in the 250,000 miles of silence between him and Earth, Aldrin recalled later in a Guideposts magazine article, he observed the solemn Christian tradition that has connected millions of Christians over the past 2,000 years to their Savior.

Opening the package containing the emblems of Christ's body and blood, “I ate the tiny Host and swallowed the wine,” wrote Aldrin. “I gave thanks for the intelligence and spirit that had brought two young pilots to the Sea of Tranquility.” He added that “it was interesting for me to think: the very first liquid ever poured on the moon, and the very first food eaten there, were the communion elements.” The young astronaut had intended to share the special moment with the entire world, but officials at Mission Control had second thoughts and “requested that I not do this,” recalled Aldrin. “NASA was already embroiled in a legal battle with Madalyn Murray O’Hair, the celebrated opponent of religion, over the Apollo 8 crew reading from Genesis while orbiting the moon at Christmas. I agreed reluctantly.” While few over the years have recalled Aldrin's faithful, solitary witness in space, at least one group continues to commemorate that unique lunar observance. The Washington Post's religion columnist Sally Quinn noted that the small communion chalice Aldrin had borrowed from Houston's Webster Church made its way back there, where it is used for an annual Lunar Communion each July 20.

“Communion can be celebrated anywhere," the church's senior pastor, Mark Cooper, observed this year, “even cramped up in a lunar module on the moon.” As for O'Hair's lawsuit over the reading of the Genesis creation account by the Apollo 8 astronauts, the Supreme Court ultimately dismissed the case. But her displeasure no doubt has played a role in subsequent NASA space travelers keeping their faith to themselves. Apparently, however, it did not prevent astronaut Patrick Forrester , a member of the space shuttle Discovery's crew in 2009, from carrying into space a piece of the plane flown by martyred missionary Nate Saint , who in 1956 was killed with four other missionaries by the Ecuadorian Waodani tribal people whom they were trying to evangelize. Forrester, who left the small piece of the plane's battery box at the International Space Station, commented that “bringing attention to and renewing interest in missions would be a great result” of his simple gesture.

While groups such as the Freedom From Religion Foundations, which has picked up O'Hair's campaign against faith, would no doubt take offense, Forrester said that his intent in carrying the relic into space on the NASA space flight was to “honor Nate Saint, the Saint family, and all missionaries around the world.” He added that “I've always had a heart for missions. When I visualize what I might do after I end my career at NASA, always in the back of my mind is going into the mission field in some way.” Photo of Buzz Aldrin on the moon: AP Images Please review our Comment Policy before posting a comment Thank you for joining the discussion at The New American. We value our readers and encourage their participation, but in order to ensure a positive experience for our readership, we have a few guidelines for commenting on articles. If your post does not follow our policy, it will be deleted. No profanity, racial slurs, direct threats, or threatening language. No product advertisements. Please post comments in English. Please keep your comments on topic with the article. If you wish to comment on another subject, you may search for a relevant article and join or start a discussion there.

Buzz Aldrin - Facts & Summary - HISTORY.com A+E Networks Introduction Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr. (1930-), better known as “Buzz,” was part of the Apollo 11 mission that first put a man on the moon. The son of a U.S. Air Force colonel, Aldrin became a top student at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point before a decorated stint as a fighter pilot during the Korean War. He was among the first NASA astronauts tapped for the nascent space program, and his historic Apollo 11 mission with Neil Armstrong in 1969 was televised to an estimated 600 million viewers. Aldrin later returned to the Air Force in a managerial role and developed spacecraft systems, writing an autobiography and publishing several additional books. Google Buzz Aldrin’s Early Life Born Edwin Eugene “Buzz” Aldrin, Jr. on January 20, 1930, in Montclair, New Jersey . The nickname “Buzz” originated in childhood: his little sister mispronounced the word “brother” as “buzzer.” His family shortened the nickname to “Buzz.” Aldrin would make it his legal first name in 1988.

His mother, Marion Moon, was the daughter of an Army chaplain. His father, Edwin Eugene Aldrin, was a Colonel in the U.S. Air Force. In 1947, Buzz graduated from Montclair High School in Montclair, New Jersey, and headed to West Point Military Academy in New York . He took well to the discipline and strict regimens, and was the first in his class his freshman year. He graduated was third in his class in 1951 with a BS in mechanical engineering. Buzz Aldrin: Military Career Aldrin’s father felt his son should continue on to multiengine flight school so that he could eventually take charge of his own flight crew, but Buzz wanted to become a fighter pilot. His father relented to his son’s wishes, and after a summer of hitching around Europe on military planes, Buzz officially entered the United States Air Force in 1951. He again scored near the top of his class in flight school, and began fighter training later that year. During his time in the military, Aldrin joined the 51st Fighter Wing, where he flew F-86 Sabre Jets in 66 combat missions in Korea.

During the Korean war, F-86 planes fought to defend South Korea from the invasion of Communist forces in North Korea. Aldrin’s wing was responsible for breaking the enemy “kills” record during combat, when they shot down 61 enemy MiGs and grounded 57 others in one month of combat. Aldrin shot down two MiGs, and was decorated with the Distinguished Flying Cross for his service during the war. After a cease-fire was declared between North and South Korea in 1953, Aldrin returned home. He returned to school this time, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where he planned to complete a master’s degree and then apply for test pilot school. Instead, he earned a Ph.D. in aeronautics and astronautics, graduating in 1963. His thesis subject “Line-of-sight guidance techniques for manned orbital rendezvous” was the study of bringing piloted spacecraft into close proximity with each other. Buzz Aldrin: Space Flight His specialized study of rendezvous helped to earn him entry into the space program shortly after graduation. In 1963, Aldrin was part of a third group of men selected by NASA to attempt to pioneer space flight.

Aldrin was put in charge of creating docking and rendezvous techniques for spacecraft. He also pioneered underwater training techniques, to simulate flight in zero gravity. In 1966, Aldrin and astronaut Jim Lovell were assigned to the Gemini 12 crew. During their November 11 to November 15, 1966, space flight, Aldrin made a five-hour spacewalk the longest and most successful spacewalk ever done up to that time. He also used his rendezvous abilities to manually recalculate all the docking maneuvers on the flight, after the on-board radar failed. After Gemini 12, Aldrin was assigned to the backup crew of Apollo 8 along with Neil Armstrong and Harrison “Jack” Schmitt. On July 20, 1969, Buzz, along with flight commander Neil Armstrong, made the historic Apollo 11 moonwalk, becoming the first two humans to set foot on another planet. They spent a total of 21 hours on the moon’s surface, and returned with 46 pounds of moon rocks. The walk, which was televised, drew an estimated 600 million people to watch, becoming the world’s largest television audience in history.

Upon their safe return to Earth, Buzz was decorated with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, followed by a 45-day international goodwill tour. Among their distinguished honors and medals, Buzz and his Apollo 11 crew also have four stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in California . On March 1972, after 21 years of service, Aldrin retired from active duty and returned to the Air Force in a managerial role. He later admitted in his 1973 autobiography, Return to Earth, that he struggled with depression and alcoholism following his years with NASA. After struggling with divorce and maintaining sobriety, Aldrin turned to studying advancements in space technology. He devised a spacecraft system for missions to Mars known as the “Aldrin Mars Cycler,” and has received three US patents for his schematics of a modular space station, Starbooster reusable rockets, and multi-crew modules. He also founded ShareSpace Foundation, a nonprofit devoted to advancing space education, exploration and affordable space flight experiences. Aldrin has been married three times. His first wife was actress Joan Archer, followed by Beverly Zile. He married his current wife, Lois Driggs Cannon, on Valentine’s Day in 1988.

He has three children and one grandchild. Biography courtesy of BIO.com Buzz Aldrin - Biography - IMDb Buzz Aldrin Jump to: Overview (3) | Mini Bio (1) | Spouse (3) | Trivia (14) | Personal Quotes (8) Overview (3) 5' 10" (1.78 m) Mini Bio (1) Buzz Aldrin was born on January 20, 1930 in Montclair, New Jersey, USA as Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr. He is known for his work on The Other Side of the Moon (1990), Fly Me to the Moon 3D (2008) and Apollo 11: The Untold Story (2006). He was previously married to Lois Driggs Cannon, Beverly Van Zile and Jean Ann Archer. Spouse (3) ( 29 December 1954 - 1972) (divorced) (3 children) Trivia (14) Astronaut, second man on the moon. Aldrin's mother's maiden name was Moon. Had his first name legally changed to "Buzz" in 1979. Moonwalker.

Lunar Module Pilot, Apollo 11, making him the second man to walk on the Moon. Society of Operating Cameramen, (SOC) Recipient, Technical Achievment Award (1995) "NASA, First live television broadcast from the Moon" (1969). His Swedish ancestors were blacksmiths who emigrated to America from the province Värmland in Sweden. Inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2007 for his services to enterprise and space (inaugural election). Official induction ceremonies held in May 2008. In 2007, at age 77, he underwent plastic surgery for a face-lift. Claims that being subjected to countless bouts of G-force as a fighter pilot and astronaut caused his jowls to sag prematurely. Flew twice for NASA. Once on the first manned lunar expedition Apollo 11 with Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins and once on Gemini 12 with Jim Lovell , the last Gemini mission. On the historic Apollo 11 mission, the lunar module was Eagle and the command module was Columbia. Honorary member of the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC).

Jokingly credited in Monty Python's Flying Circus: The Buzz Aldrin Show (1970) as actor, writer and makeup artist. Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7021 Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Hollywood, California on January 14, 1993. His nickname "Buzz" originated in childhood. The younger of his two older sisters mispronounced 'brother' as 'buzzer', which was then shortened to 'Buzz'. Wrote a 2009 memoir "Magnificent Desolation," telling in detail his problems after his return from the moon with divorce, drinking, depression, and despair and checking into rehab in 1975 where he started the long climb back to sobriety and hope. Personal Quotes (8) [on joining Neil Armstrong in first walk on the moon, 20 July 1969] Beautiful! Beautiful! Magnificent desolation! [on why no famous photos were taken of Neil Armstrong during the Apollo 11 landing on the moon] As the sequence of lunar operations evolved, Neil had the camera most of the time, and the majority of pictures taken on the moon that include an astronaut are of me.

It wasn't until we were back on Earth and in the lunar receiving laboratory looking over the pictures that we realized there were few pictures of Neil. My fault, perhaps, but we had never simulated this in our training. There's a need for accepting responsibility - for a person's life and making choices that are not just ones for immediate short-term comfort. You need to make an investment, and the investment is in health and education. We can continue to try and clean up the gutters all over the world and spend all of our resources looking at just the dirty spots and trying to make them clean. Or we can lift our eyes up and look into the skies and move forward in an evolutionary way. I think humans will reach Mars, and I would like to see it happen in my lifetime. Mars is there, waiting to be reached. The torment of depression and the complications of addiction that accompany it affect millions, including myself and family members before me - my grandfather committed suicide before I was born and my mother the year before I went to the moon - along with hundreds of veterans who come to a similar fate each year," Aldrin wrote.

"As individuals and as a nation we need to be compassionate and supportive of all who suffer and give them the resources to face life. [on Robin Williams] I regarded Robin Williams as a friend and fellow sufferer. His passing is a great loss. The torment of depression and the complications of addiction that accompany it affect millions, including myself and family members before me - my grandfather committed suicide before I was born and my mother the year before I went to the moon - along with hundreds of veterans who come to a similar fate each year. As individuals and as a nation we need to be compassionate and supportive of all who suffer and give them the resources to face life. Robin Williams RIP. See also

Question: What is the first Christian name of astronaut 'Buzz' Aldrin?
Answer: EDWIN